Emma Raducanu: Briton shrugs off foot injury to beat China's Yue Yuan and make Korea Open quarter-finals
Emma Raducanu overcame a potential foot injury to win against China's Yue Yuan in straight sets, finishing the match 6-4, 6-3, and moving on to the quarter-finals of the Korea Open.
Following a tense start where she had to battle through deuce, Raducanu found her rhythm and secured the first break of the match, putting her in the lead at 2-1 with some outstanding play from the baseline.
Despite the challenge, Yuan demonstrated determination by quickly returning the break. She then displayed resilience by saving break points during crucial moments, allowing her to take a lead at 3-2 and subsequently 4-3.
When Raducanu got another opportunity to break, she seized it confidently with a crisp backhand winner hit crosscourt. She then held her serve to secure the first set 6-4, even after receiving some medical attention.
The British player surged ahead by breaking Yuan's serve in the opening game of the second set. After holding her own serve, she broke her Chinese opponent again, taking a strong lead of 3-0.
Yuan managed to break Raducanu's serve once, but Raducanu fought hard to hold her serve through a deuce situation, reaching a score of 4-2. She then broke Yuan's serve again, making it 5-2 and setting herself up with the opportunity to serve for the match.
After missing out on four match points, Raducanu faced the challenge of saving two break points before earning a fifth chance to close out the match. However, Yuan responded with an impressive winner, keeping her hopes alive.
Raducanu faced a third break point in the match, which she managed to fend off with a powerful serve. This brought the score to a seventh deuce, but a double fault from her allowed Yuan to seize the opportunity, ultimately breaking Raducanu's serve and winning the game with a strong forehand winner.
Raducanu wouldn't be stopped, though, as she broke Yuan's serve to 15 in the next game the Chinese player served. This victory secured her spot in the quarter-finals after her seventh match point chance.
Raducanu's next opponent will be the winner of the match between top-seeded Daria Kasatkina and American Hailey Baptiste. The winner of that matchup will advance to the semi-finals in Seoul.
Raducanu: Managing Frustration Led To Victory
Raducanu spoke from the sidelines on Sky Sports Tennis:
I believe that the secret to my achievements today was learning to release any feelings of frustration.
As the match came to an end, I had plenty of opportunities to win, but I wasn't able to take advantage of them. I focused on maintaining my concentration and managed to break my opponent in that final game.
The backing from the fans was incredibly meaningful to me. I really enjoy playing in Korea, and Seoul is definitely one of my top favorite cities.
"I truly appreciate how the fans really support me here, and that means a lot to me."
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